Yogendra Yadav, convenor of Swaraj India, has written an open letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, addressing the concerns of hundreds of students protesting against the alleged fixing of the Staff Selection Commission (SSC) exams, held by the Center, since Tuesday, 27 February.
As reported by India Today, the protesting students also allege a paper leak in the Combined Graduate level (CGL) tier II examinations that was conducted by the commission and have even demanded a proper CBI probe
The movement started after they received a notice issued by the SSC on 24 February, which stated that the exam held on 21 February was cancelled and would be re-conducted on 9 March due to "technical reasons.
Speaking about the protests, Yadav in his open letter to Modi, as reported by Newsato stated:
Though our young friends have emerged in thousands to voice their concerns, all they have been met with is a deafening silence from the Central government. When the entire country was celebrating Holi, this youth was gaping at the darkness of their future.Yogendra Yadav
Yadav, who was a member of the Aam Aadmi Party till 2015, had tweeted his support for the students protesting the SSC exam fixing, adding that if the SSC had nothing to hide, why were they resisting a CBI investigation as demanded by the students?
In his letter, Yadav mentioned that the fixing of the SSC exams was in fact, an “open secret”, as a result of which the merit of the students sitting for the same, was “greatly compromised”.
Relating it to the Vyapam Scam of 2013, he added that the Center, through these exams, held a “backdoor reservation” for students who could either buy their future or had easy access to political contacts in the Center itself.
As a result of this fixing, he adds, not only do the results of these exams stand to get affected, but also compromises the date of joining of eligible students, with some not hearing back till two or three years post the initial declaration of their marks.
Empowering the Youth?
In his letter, Yadav took a hit at what Modi had promised in his election campaign before he was voted to power in 2014. At the time, the Prime Minister had promised that one of his main agendas was the empowerment of the Indian youth, in terms of opportunities and employment, but considering the alleged fixing of one of the most important examinations conducted by the Center, his actions don’t seem to be reflecting his promises.
You got a resounding victory as the youth believed in you. But now, when the youth asks you to intervene, you are found missing in words and action. This is what pains me Modiji.Yogendra Yadav
Speaking about the ongoing protests conducted by the students outside the Staff Selection Commission (SSC) headquarters in Delhi, he mentioned that upon meeting them, he was inspired by their sincere dedication to the movement, but the police were reportedly refusing to allow anybody to provide the former with food, water and other basic amenities.
Imploring the prime minister once again, Yadav concluded with:
Mr prime minister, I urge you to intervene in the ongoing stalemate. Please listen to “Mann ki Baat” of the youth for once. All these young boys and girls are asking for is a fair CBI probe and a clean examination system that allows only merit to prevail.Yogendra Yadav
“It is important that a CBI enquiry be not only conducted in this exam only, but also in the entire functioning of these examinations. This is the least we can do for the young protesters,” he said.
(With inputs from Newsato and India Today)
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